By Kevin Sjoberg
Sports Reporter
The two-time defending Eastern Maine champion Caribou Vikings boys cross country team appears as if it could be well on its way to a third title.
Contributed photo/Laurie Sheehan
Christian Sleeper of the Vikings had another strong performance at Saturday’s Penobscot Valley Conference Championship held in Bangor. Sleeper fell halfway through the race, but still managed to take second place overall in 17:12.8. His Caribou team scored a meet-low 22 points to finish first out of seven teams.
The Vikes have been dominant throughout the regular season and were impressive in Saturday’s Penobscot Valley Conference championship meet, winning by a large margin over Ellsworth, who along with Hampden will offer Caribou its top competition in Saturday’s EM meet at Belfast.
“Like every year, we feel we have the talent and the focus to win a championship,” said coach Roy Alden, whose teams have won four EM titles during his 21-year stint, been runners-up four times and has qualified for the state meet the last 17 years. “Ellsworth and Hampden both have excellent programs and were rated ahead of us earlier this season, and Ellsworth is one of the few teams that have beaten us this year.
“We will have to continue to stay healthy, focus and work extremely hard to be the best we can be.”
Contributed photo/Laurie Sheehan
Caribou runners Katie Plourde, left, and Kelly Kashian stay in close proximity of each other during Saturday’s PVC meet. They finished 22nd and 23rd, respectively.
One of the highlights of Caribou’s season so far was the fourth-place effort at the Festival of Champions in Belfast earlier this month. The team placed fourth out of a field of more than 50 teams, that came from both in and out of state. Alden said that was the second best finish his team has registered at that meet.
The Vikes are led by senior Christian Sleeper, who Alden said is approaching the front-runner status of previous Caribou standouts Sam Sheehan, Jeff Alden and P.J. Gorneault.
“He leads by example and has a huge heart and the desire to be successful,” Alden said of the MVP of the 2009 team, who placed 11th at last year’s state meet and broke 17:00 at the Festival of Champions.
Classmate D.J. Flynn is in his second year with the team and made a splash as a rookie last year, placing in the top-10 individually at the regionals and 17th at the state meet. “He is extremely focused and confident,” Alden said, “which allows him to get the most out of every race.”
Caleb Chapman is this year’s Flynn in that he took up the sport late in his high school career and has excelled and has become a key runner for the Vikes. The junior was the winner of the Old Town Invitational.
“Caleb has fit right in,” Alden said. “He possesses and excellent work ethic, is extremely coachable and has bought into our team concept wholeheartedly.”
Junior Jesse Sandstrom has improved as the season has moved along, including outstanding recent races in Belfast and Limestone as well as a fifth-place performance at Saturday’s PVC event. The second-year runner is running his best “when it is most important,” Alden said.
Senior Jake Michaud was an important part of the EM championship teams in 2008 and 2009, including a top-15 finish in last year’s regional meet which Alden said “was the difference between us and Ellsworth.” Alden said Michaud gives his best no matter what the conditions are and that he has become a “true team leader.”
Freshman Ryan Washington was seventh in a crowded field at the freshmen race at the Festival of Champions. Alden said he is improving with every race and “has the potential to be the next championship runner at Caribou High School.”
Contributed photo/Laurie Sheehan
Fourth-year runner Jake Michaud of the Caribou Vikings has been a key performer for this year’s squad.
Battling for the seventh and final position in the team’s top seven are first-year junior runner Kjetil Rossignol and second-year junior Nick Dobson. “They both have the potential to really help us the next couple of meets,” their coach said.
Caribou also benefits from a very strong JV program which has won all their competitions this fall. The Vikes have a 28-member squad, with other members including seniors Levi Bither, Matt Coty, Ezra Duplissie-Cyr, Robbie Kiehn and Kyle McEwen; juniors Cody Charette, Charm Karunsari, Josh Kovach, Marc Sturzl and Hongtao Wu; sophomores Grant Bennett, Dustin Boucher, Graham Freme and Ron Lund; and freshmen Garrick Alley, Jacob Bither, Lucas Kinney, Logan McPherson, Jessie Page and Tyler Strid.
Alden is looking forward to seeing what his team will accomplish both this weekend and at the state meet the following Saturday on the Belfast course.
“This group is doing very well and we are excited about the opportunities before us,” he said, “but we must stay healthy, maintain our fitness level and focus and continue to work together as a team to have the best races of our lives.”
Girls also in midst
of solid campaign
Coach Tom Beckum’s Caribou girls team has had its share of highlights this season as well, including a second-place effort at Old Town and a top-10 at the Festival of Champions in Belfast.
“We have a group of hard working, committed runners who have experience in cross country,” Beckum said.
The Vikings have a 23-member roster this year, and the potential is there for more success in future years as eight out of the top 10 are underclassmen.
Running No. 1 for most of the season is sophomore Mackenzie Belyea, who Beckum said “has only scratched the surface on her potential talent.”
“We have been working on her speed and pacing and were pleased to see her go out faster and hang on for a great race at [the Festival of Champions],” the coach added. Belyea also placed ninth at the PVC meet on Saturday.
Mary Jo Sheehan and Dayna Michaud are seniors and the team’s most experienced runners. “They’ve run quite well for me in past seasons and are key factors heading into the championships,” said Beckum, who noted that Sheehan “has dedicated a lot of energy to helping the team thrive this season.”
Natasha Bishop is in her first year with the team, but the junior has consistently improved her times and is another key component for the Vikes the rest of the way. Junior Katie Plourde is another consistent runner, while sophomore Ashley Richards and junior Kelly Kashian round out the team’s top seven and “are always within seconds of scoring for our team.”
Like the boys, the Caribou JV girls remain undefeated after winning the PVC meet. Beckum hopes the varsity team can put in a good showing at Saturday’s regionals.
“If our runners bring their best performance, we have a chance of getting as high as second place this weekend,” Beckum said, conceding that John Bapst is the strongest team in the region.
Contributed photo/Laurie Sheehan
D.J. Flynn of the Vikings has made a huge impact during his two seasons on the cross country team.
Other team members are seniors Breanna Randolph, Nicole Cyr, Sierra Kimball, Annelies Walker and Giuila Papini; juniors Lacy Cyr, Marigan Doody and Katrina McPherson; sophomores Chelsea Bard, Emily Soderberg, Katherine Page and Rebecca Walker; and freshmen Sirena Cyr, Ashley Simon, Allisa Irving and Sara Hamlin.
Contributed photo/Laurie Sheehan
Mackenzie Belyea of Caribou leads a large group of runners down a hill during Saturday’s PVC Championship Meet held in Bangor. Belyea has been the Vikes’ No. 1 runner all season.
